سلام من فؤاد مستهام

وألف تحية بعد السلام

Peace from a heart distraught with love,

And a thousand greetings after that salutation,

على من داره أرجاء قلبي

وإن عظمت به خطط الملام

To him whose home is every corner of my heart,

Though reproach's schemes on his account have grown great.

حبيب حبه أضنى فؤادي

وذوبني بنار الاضطرام

A beloved whose love has worn my heart away,

And melted me in a blazing fire.

له في كل زاويةٍ يسري

معان تحت دائرة العظام

He has, flowing through every corner,

Meanings beneath the circle of bones,

وأسرار بلب دمي أقامت

بلبي في القعود وفي القيام

And secrets in the core of my blood have settled

Within my heart, whether I sit or stand.

غزال من بني الأعجام لكن

عصابته من العرب الكرام

A gazelle of non-Arab lineage, yet

His band is of the noble Arabs.

تحجب بالشهامة وهو كهل

وقام بدرها قبل الفطام

He cloaked himself in chivalry as a grown man,

And rose as its full moon before he was weaned.

عصامي الطباع كريم خلق

جميل الشكل حلو الابتسام

Self-reliant by nature, noble in character,

Beautiful in form, sweet in smile,

رقيق الجسم درى الثنايا

كأن بثغره كأس المدام

Delicate of body, with pearly front teeth,

As though his mouth held a cup of wine.

تسلطن في ظرافته بشأن

علا عن ذل شائبة الحرام

He reigned in his refinement with a dignity

That rose above the baseness of any taint of sin.

وجاء صفاء نيته بحال

أعان عليه طائفة اللئام

And the purity of his intent brought about a state

That helped a band of scoundrels against him.

تحجب وهو بدر عن حياء

وغيب تحت خدر الاحتشام

He veiled himself, a full moon, out of modesty,

And was hidden beneath the curtain of reserve.

وأظهر أنه بالوصل سمح

وأخفى الموت في طي اللثام

And showed that he was generous with union,

And hid death within the folds of his face-veil.

رعى اللَه الديار ديار نجد

فكم لي في رباها من ذمام

May God guard the dwellings—the dwellings of Najd!

For many a bond of loyalty is mine upon its hills.

ولهت بحب ساكنها وأني

له قد صادني شبك الغرام

I am distraught with love for its dweller, and I—

For him, passion's net has indeed ensnared me.

وطبت بذكره قلباً وروحي

يروحها ثناه على الدوام

And my heart rejoiced at his mention, while my soul

Is refreshed by praise of him unceasingly.

وأطرب لاسمه شوقاً ويبدو

علي بنشره نشر الخزام

And I thrill with longing at his name, and there appears

Upon me, as it spreads, the scent of lavender.

تكرم ليلة بالقرب لكن

تكبر أن يجيب عن السلام

He graciously drew near one night, but

Was too proud to return a greeting.

وأفرط بالتحجب بعد قرب

أتى يحكي شؤون الانفصام

And veiled himself to excess after a nearness

That came to resemble the ways of separation.

فيا للَه من قطع بوصل

به وجداً طلع الصباح بلا مرام

So, O God, what severance in union!

Amid longing for it, dawn broke with no wish fulfilled.

وأبرح ما يكون الوجد يوما

إذا دنت الخيام من الخيام

And longing is most agonizing on the day

When tents draw near to tents.